The Patron Saint of Lace Makers
by JAGNikJen
Summary: A follow on to The Sword of Orion wherein Dan accompanies Rebecca to the St. Regis Hotel.


Word Count:

Rating: R

Summary: A follow-on to _The Sword of Orion_ or Dan and Rebecca's night at the St. Regis Hotel.

Disclaimer: Sports Night and its characters do not belong to me and I'll return them when I've had my way with them. I thank Aaron Sorkin for his brilliance, and wish the show had lasted just a little bit longer.

St. Regis Hotel

"Are you sure about this?"

"Yes, Danny, I'm sure."

" 'Cause I'm just saying…if you're a little bit unsure about this we don't have to do this."

"I'm fine with this."

"Are you sure you're sure about this?"

"Dan?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you _not_ want to do this?"

"No—I mean, yes. I mean I want this more than anything, Rebecca." Dan turned to her and gently took hold of her upper arms. "There's nowhere I'd rather be tonight than here with you watching Orlando Rojas make his comeback."

Dan watched as a tear slid down her cheek, and with a tender touch, dried the moisture from her face. Rebecca stood up on her tiptoes and pressed a soft kiss to his mouth.

"The wall of pain?" Dan whispered.

She nodded and whispered back, "The wall of pain."

"I brought my chisel," Dan replied with a small smile.

"Don't people usually wrecking balls? Or at least sledge hammers to knock down walls?" Rebecca asked with a little chuckle.

"Yes. Yes, they do," Dan replied. "But this is a special wall. A wall of pain, with bricks and mortar—"

"And a third thing."

"Right. And a third thing, which is very delicate and requires a smaller tool and a slower, gentler touch."

Rebecca blinked back tears at Dan's words and tone as the elevator dinged that it had reached its destination. "We're here."

"So we are. Are you really sure?"

"I'm sure."

"Okay, then. Let's go." Dan took Rebecca's hand and they walked side by side behind the bellhop to the room.

Dan tipped the bellhop handsomely and escorted him to the door.

"If you need anything, sir, my name is Gerald."

"Thank you, Gerald, but I have a beautiful woman in a hotel room and a video tape of Orlando Rojas pitching for the Orioles. What more is there?"

"Indeed, sir," said the bellhop with a smile and a small bow as he backed out of the room.

Dan shrugged out of his jacket and loosened his tie and watched Rebecca wander about the large living room. "You all right?" he asked.

She turned to him with large eyes. "Yeah." She shrugged nonchalantly. "W-why wouldn't I be?"

Rebecca watched as Dan slowly walked around to her until he was standing right in front of her. His eyes never left her face. Her breath caught in her throat as he closed the distance between them, taking her in his arms and caressing her lips with his own until she opened up and let him in.

"You want me?" she asked incredulously when the kiss ended. Dan's desire was pressed against her.

"Yes, I do," he acknowledged solemnly. "And you want me, too."

"How can you tell?"

"Your eyes."

"My eyes?"

"Yes, your eyes—they're stormy."

"Stormy?"

"Stormy."

"And are we going to do something about that?"

"Only if you want to," he pressed another quick kiss to her lips and released her, going around to fetch the tape and insert it into the VCR. "But first—Orlando Rojas."

"You mean we're not going to make love now?" she asked surprised.

"Now?" He looked over at her with as much desire as she'd ever seen shining in a man's eyes.

"Now."

"No."

"No?" Rebecca was again surprised. "Isn't that why a woman invites a man to a really expensive hotel room? So he'll have sex with her?"

Dan looked at her with a hurt expression on his face. "Is that why you think I came here with you?"

"Yes. Isn't it?"

"No. And it's not the reason you asked me either."

"It's not?"

"No. The reason you asked me here is to reinforce your belief that all men are like Steve Sisko."

"It is?"

"Yes. But if I'm half the man I try to be, I won't let you believe for even one moment that I'm anything like Steve Sisko. And…"

"And?"

Dan smiled charmingly at her and spoke in low tones, "And when—not _if_, but when—I get around to acting upon my desire for you, we won't be having sex."

"We won't?"

"No. I will make the sweetest most passionate love with you." Dan's voice was husky now. "It won't be having sex."

"Oh."

"Now, how about some baseball?" He dropped to the large chintz covered, over-stuffed sofa and patted the spot next to him. He looked at her expectantly and propped his feet up on the coffee table.

"Um, yeah. Sure." Rebecca grinned at him and came around and took her place in the crook of Dan's arm and snuggled up next to him. Placing her ear against his chest, she listened to steady rhythm of his heartbeat.

"So you know nothing about this game, right?" he asked.

"This game—as in the game of baseball or this particular exhibition game?" Rebecca asked.

"This particular game," Dan replied.

"All I know is that this guy—this pitcher—Orlando Rojas is making his first start after being sidelined with an injury for a couple of years. And if he can put together some pitches, he might not be cut from the team as fast people thought he would."

"Wow. How'd you know that?"

"Well, this crazy guy told me. He'd been hanging around my office making a nuisance of himself."

"Anybody I should be worried about?" He smiled down at her.

"No. I told him that I was seeing this really great guy and if he didn't go away this really great guy was going to beat him up." Rebecca looked up into Dan's face and was rewarded with another tender kiss. "Those are really addicting."

"Mmm hmm," Dan murmured against Rebecca's lips.

"Danny…" Rebecca whispered.

He broke the kiss. "How about some baseball?" He pressed the play button and shifted in his seat trying to ease the discomfort.

"So you really know nothing about baseball?"

"Nope."

"Okay. Well, let's just watch and when there's something you don't understand, just ask."

"Okay."

Dan got comfortable in the corner of the couch and watched as Orlando Rojas did a pretty fair job of putting some pitches together.

Rebecca got comfortable in the crook of Dan's arm and was lulled to sleep by the steady beat of his heart under her ear. She smiled sleepily as Dan cheered on Orlando Rojas.

It took a couple of innings before Dan realized that Rebecca had fallen asleep. And once he did, he couldn't keep from grinning. As he watched Orlando Rojas strike out three batters in a row, he tried to keep from squirming. Rebecca's perfume wafted up and teased his nose, while her forearm rested heavily across the front of his pants.

Rebecca slept on, oblivious to her effect on Dan, but by the end of the game, his body had relaxed. He clicked off the TV and closed his eyes and enjoyed the feel of Rebecca in his arms.

Rebecca blinked herself awake and realized she wasn't in her bed. In fact, she was kind of achy from the odd position she must have slept in. She smiled at the sound of the steady rhythm in her ear, and reluctantly pushed herself upright.

Dan lay semi-reclined in the corner of the couch. Rebecca eased over him and pressed a soft kiss against is lips. He rolled his head slowly as if to avoid an annoyance. Rebecca smiled again and pressed a firmer kiss to his mouth. This time, Dan was awake enough to know what was going on and he immediately opened his mouth and kissed her back.

"What a way to wake up," he said. "I don't think I've ever been woken up in quite this manner. I know my mom never kissed me awake like that."

"I should hope not," Rebecca replied making a face.

Rebecca shrieked as Dan grabbed her and rolled her underneath him on the couch. "Good morning, Rebecca."

"Good morning, Dan," she returned breathlessly.

"Thank you for last night," he said.

"Last night?" she shook her a bit confused.

"Yes, last night."

"But nothing happened."

"I know."

"But you're still thanking me for nothing."

"Nope."

"What?"

"I'm thanking for you for spending an evening with me and Orlando Rojas. I know it wasn't the most exciting evening as evidenced by the fact that you fell asleep by the third inning—"

"I'm sorry about that."

"No reason to be sorry. I realize that not everybody has as screwy a schedule as mine and can't be expected to stay up half the night to unwind."

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"For making sweet passionate love to me."

"But we didn't—"

"No, not yet, but I think that when you do, I'll be overwhelmed to the point of speechlessness, so I just wanted to tell you now."

"Oh."

"What time is it?"

"It's ten thirty. I've gotta go."

"Oh." Rebecca was disappointed. She was hoping to convince Dan to render her speechless.

"I've got to be at the studio by noon for the first run down meeting. I'm sorry."

"No. It's okay. You've got to work."

"Rebecca."

"What?"

"I love my job, but I'm not throwing you over for sports."

"I know."

"Do you?"

Rebecca nodded, not trusting herself to not cry in front of him.

Dan could tell she didn't really believe it. He tried to kiss her, but she didn't respond. He continued to press kisses against her neck and jaw, working his way back to her mouth, all the while murmuring sweet nothings as he went. When he reached her mouth she gave in and opened herself to him and kissed him back for all she was worth. They were both breathing heavily when the kiss ended.

"You're making this so hard on me," he said. "I would love nothing more than to ravish you right here, right now, but I don't have the time to do it properly. I said it would be sweet and passionate, not hurried and sweaty. Please, please believe me when I say I am not putting sports ahead of you. Okay?"

"Okay," she whispered, realizing he truly was sincere.

"So how'd your big night with Rebecca go?" asked Casey as Dan sauntered into their office.

"Fine."

"Just fine?" Casey asked looking up from the laptop. "Well, I hope Rebecca doesn't hear that you've rated her as fine."

"Casey, nothing happened."

"You're kidding?"

"Nope."

"I watched Orlando Rojas and she fell asleep in my arms."

"And that's it?"

"That's it."

"I expected better of you," Casey replied with a smirk.

"Case—this is serious. She's really fragile and I—"

"You're not that guy."

"I'm not Steve Sisko."

"Not even in the same league. Danny?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm happy for you, man."

~ Fin ~


End file.
